Where do you rank the Blues C depth?

[1specter]

Blues have a good group with ROR, B.Schenn and Bozak. Where do you rank this league wide?

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[rent free]

very impressive they brought in three new centers all in the past 2 off seasons

 

[oilwave]

I think its one of the deepest, but I personally don't think they have a true number #1 which really limits them imo. (Both ROR and Schenn may make me eat crow though)

 

[Wayne Primeau]

It's very, very good. Definitely top-10. Not sure they can beat the Lightning, Penguins, etc for top-5

 

[Mrb1p]

Its not that good TBH, worse than Pittsburgh, TB, WSH, TOR, Edmonton, Buf, Florida, LA, Boston, Philly, Winnipeg, NYI, and most teams with an elite number one, but at least its better than the Habs.

 

[1specter]

I think its one of the deepest, but I personally don't think they have a true number #1 which really limits them imo. (Both ROR and Schenn may make me eat crow though)

IMO, ROR has the defense of a true #1 while providing the offense of a top-end #2, while Schenn has the offense of a #1 but defensively is more at the middle six level (with Philadelphia he was a disaster defensively, he's been much better on St.Louis). Bozak is in between for both.

So essentially, ROR is 1B, Schenn 2A and Bozak a 2B. Pretty good all-around.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Im surprised at the votes here, I generally root for the blues in games not involving my team, but Id say they are in the teens. ROR and Schenn are good, but they are both borderline 1/2 Cs and I think it is hard to have a top 10 C group if there is no clear cut "guy"

1) Pittsburgh
2) Edmonton
3) Toronto
4) Lighting
5) Capitals
6) Panthers
7) Predators
8) Kings
9) Bruins
10) Sharks

That'd be my top 10, with the Blues somewhere in the low teens

 

[1specter]

Its not that good TBH, worse than Pittsburgh, TB, WSH, TOR, Edmonton, Buf, Florida, LA, Boston, Philly, Winnipeg, NYI, and most teams with an elite number one, but at least its better than the Habs.

I strongly disagree with NYI and Buffalo, Barzal and Eichel alone are not enough. Boston is also debatable, Bergeron is amazing but they lost Riley Nash and Krejci is not what he used to be. Philly depends on whether or not Giroux is playing C, last season he didn't, and how much of a step Nolan Patrick takes this year.

IMO the Blues are firmly in the top 10.

 

[M2Beezy]

Looks good on paper but will they actually change the fortune of Blues constant failure in the playoffs? I think there in for more of the same but I guess will see

 

[BlueDream]

Also you can add our top prospect, Robert Thomas, to that group. He's currently 4th on the depth chart since he just turned 19 but he looks to have top 6 potential in the future.

As a Blues fan it's great to finally see the depth there. Going back a few years ago, we basically had nothing.

 

[ijuka]

Amazing how Blues managed to get 3 worthy centers over the course of one season while Habs have for years been unable to find any. But I guess they just aren't available, huh.

 

[BlueDream]

Im surprised at the votes here, I generally root for the blues in games not involving my team, but Id say they are in the teens. ROR and Schenn are good, but they are both borderline 1/2 Cs and I think it is hard to have a top 10 C group if there is no clear cut "guy"

1) Pittsburgh
2) Edmonton
3) Toronto
4) Lighting
5) Capitals
6) Panthers
7) Predators
8) Kings
9) Bruins
10) Sharks

That'd be my top 10, with the Blues somewhere in the low teens

I don't see how the Predators are 7th if the Blues are in the teens. Johansen has to be one of the more overrated players on this site. Johansen/Turris/Bonino isn't any better than ROR/Schenn/Bozak.

Also not seeing the Sharks as better. A declining Joe Thornton and Couture? Meh. Solid, but if any of these guys are true #1's in HF's opinion, then so are ROR and Schenn.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Blues have a good group with ROR, B.Schenn and Bozak. Where do you rank this league wide?

I'd say they are some between 5th and 10th. They've really improved that C depth nicely and are going to be a damn good team this year.

 

[1specter]

I don't see how the Predators are 7th if the Blues are in the teens. Johansen has to be one of the more overrated players on this site. Johansen/Turris/Bonino isn't any better than ROR/Schenn/Bozak.

Also not seeing the Sharks as better. A declining Joe Thornton and Couture? Meh. Solid, but if any of these guys are true #1's in HF's opinion, then so are ROR and Schenn.

Yeah there's no way in hell the Preds have a top 10 group. Maybe if Ryjo and Turris reverted to their 2015 level.

 

[Mrb1p]

I strongly disagree with NYI and Buffalo, Barzal and Eichel alone are not enough. Boston is also debatable, Bergeron is amazing but they lost Riley Nash and Krejci is not what he used to be. Philly depends on whether or not Giroux is playing C, last season he didn't, and how much of a step Nolan Patrick takes this year.

IMO the Blues are firmly in the top 10.

Ive been a fan of a team that hasnt had a true number one since 2003, trust me, idgaf about some 2a2b tweeners. Give me Barzal or Eichel. Plus Buffalo has Mittlestatd.

 

[Connor McConnor]

It's deep but lacks a true #1. ROR is one of the best #2C's in the league (which generally means he's a low end #1C) and Schenn is a middle of the pack #2C. Bozak fits in nicely as a #3C. I voted Top 10 because the OP seemed to emphasize "depth" but if I was voting who had the best C group they would not be top 10 as I'll take teams with 2 exceptional #1Cs > depth.

 

[tom leafers]

It's deep but lacks a true #1. ROR is one of the best #2C's in the league (which generally means he's a low end #1C) and Schenn is a middle of the pack #2C. Bozak fits in nicely as a #3C. I voted Top 10 because the OP seemed to emphasize "depth" but if I was voting who had the best C group they would not be top 10 as I'll take teams with 2 exceptional #1Cs > depth.

Agreed,

Top 10 for sure as it has great depth but as you said lacks that true #1.

I am excited to see how ROR does this year. I feel like hes going to be a man on a mission

 

[1specter]

Ive been a fan of a team that hasnt had a true number one since 2003, trust me, idgaf about some 2a2b tweeners. Give me Barzal or Eichel. Plus Buffalo has Mittlestatd.

Our team had Mats Sundin and usually some mediocre players as 2C and 3C. Good depth is really important still.

 

[1specter]

I'll take teams with 2 exceptional #1Cs > depth.

Who has this though outside of a handful of teams? The teams that do, I have them ranked higher than St.Louis.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Who has this though outside of a handful of teams? The teams that do, I have them ranked higher than St.Louis.

You're right in terms of there are only a few teams that I believe have 2 exceptional #1Cs but there are plenty that have a great #1C and #2C that as a collective group I believe is better than St. Louis:

Pitt
Toronto
Edmonton
Washington
Florida (Point of contention: I'd take Trochek over ROR)
Tampa (I'd take Point over ROR)
LA (I'll still take Carter even at this stage in his career)

Those are 7 teams that have atleast a clear-cut #1C and a great #2C who I believe is better than anyone St. Louis currently has. They would thus need to be slotted in anywhere from 8-12ish depending on a variety of factors such as how you view C's that are currently playing wing (Philly, Dallas) among others. I personally would have them around 11.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Pittsburgh
Toronto
Edmonton
Washington
Tampa
Florida
St. Louis

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Trying to put bias aside here as a Blues fan, it’s tough to say.

Is Brayden Schenn really a 70 point center or was last year just a career year?

Can ROR find the chemistry needed with Tarasenko to take both guys to the next level?

Is Robert Thomas as good as we all hope and believe he can be?

If the answer to those questions are yes, then this is probably a very good group that is definitely top 10.

If the answer to one or more of these questions is no, then it’s probably closer to being like 13-16.

I’m optimistic that it’s more the former but it’s too soon to say for sure.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Definitely not top 5. A lot depends on what Schenn is moving forward. If he's a ~70 point guy with solid defense like last season, then it's right behind that top group of having a top-tier #1 because we'd have 2 low-end #1's in Schenn and ROR.

If Thomas produces, then it only makes the depth better.

 

[BlueDream]

Schenn's point totals are almost surely going to fall, but I still think he'll still be a 55-60 point guy, basically what he was in Philly. I mean, aside from the Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko line last year, the Blues had nothing. They started with Sobotka on their 2nd line, and by the end of the season their 2nd line had Brodziak and Berglund on it. Just not good at all.

Way more depth this year. ROR, Bozak, Perron and Maroon all joined the team, Fabbri is returning, and Thomas will make the team. Those points are going to get spread out with all of these players. Schenn's chances of hitting 70 are slim. Him and Schwartz do have great chemistry though so they'll get upwards of 50.

I still think Schenn is a very good 2C. He played well defensively and just overall played a complete brand of hockey. He looked too good for it to be a complete fluke, but 70 points is probably asking a lot. I mean not even Tarasenko hit that last year.

ROR I think could surprise some people though. I think he could hit 65, especially if he plays with Tarasenko. I think 65 points with elite defense is a 1C. That's at least equivalent to a 70-point player with average defense. Both of those things are 1C caliber.

I think people ranking them around 7th or so are probably correct. I'll take it.

 

[1specter]

You're right in terms of there are only a few teams that I believe have 2 exceptional #1Cs but there are plenty that have a great #1C and #2C that as a collective group I believe is better than St. Louis:

Pitt
Toronto
Edmonton
Washington
Florida (Point of contention: I'd take Trochek over ROR)
Tampa (I'd take Point over ROR)
LA (I'll still take Carter even at this stage in his career)

Those are 7 teams that have atleast a clear-cut #1C and a great #2C who I believe is better than anyone St. Louis currently has. They would thus need to be slotted in anywhere from 8-12ish depending on a variety of factors such as how you view C's that are currently playing wing (Philly, Dallas) among others. I personally would have them around 11.

That's fair and I also have those teams higher. I think the Blues fall in the 8-10 range.